Wednesday, 31 August 2011

Sci-fi horror Apollo 18 is out this week. I haven't been invited to any screenings of it, if indeed there have even been any, so here are some things about the 1992 They Might Be Giants album of the same name, which will have to do:

FACT: The track 'I Palindrome I' features a 27-word palindrome as its bridge: "'Son, I am able,' she said, 'though you scare me.' 'Watch,' said I. 'Beloved,' I said, 'watch me scare you, though.' Said she: 'Able am I, son'". I'm hoping the script of Apollo 18 found space to squeeze that line in out of respect.

FACT: The track 'Fingertips' consists of 21 snippets of songs that don't exist, strung together apparently at random, with titles like 'Please Pass The Milk Please' and 'Aren't You The Guy Who Hit Me In The Eye?'

FACT: While making this album, They Might Be Giants were asked by NASA to be Musical Ambassadors to International Space Year in 1992. They said yes.

OPINION: While 'Apollo 18' boasts great songs like 'Dig My Grave' and 'Turn Around', it's not their best album. That would probably be their previous effort, 'Flood'.

OBSERVATION: The cover suggests that if TMBG were going to name their album after a future movie, it probably should have been Megawhale vs. Giantfuckoffsquid In Space. That's a movie, right? Well it should be.